


Building Rome

by quietmillennial



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Multi, adoption au, one occasion, past domestic assult
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26966455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietmillennial/pseuds/quietmillennial
Relationships: David/Gwen/Jasper (Camp Camp)
Kudos: 5





	Building Rome

"You know I still love you, right?"

Gwen looked away from the skyline over the fence and back towards Jasper. "Do I? Tell me you don't have your doubts about any of this, and I'll call it paranoia."

Jasper tried to say something, but was at a loss. He sighed defeatedly. "The only thing I'm sure about at this point is that I still love you. Is it just not mutual anymore?"

"No," she smirked bitterly, "I love you as much as I did five years ago."

Jasper shrugged, still at a loss. "Is there at least a chance? You're the mother of my kids. Biological or not. That's never fucking mattered to me."

Gwen lit a cigarette, feeling anxious. Everything was finally coming to a head. "I know that now, and I guess I always knew. I just. . ."

". . .Didn't think you could win?" Jasper studied the glimmer of remorse in her eyes. She stiffened. "I don't know why, but your sister has always intimidated me. And it just sunk in and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Until I just lost touch with everything in front of me. I failed all four of you and I can't do that again. I fucked up."

Jasper gently placed a hand on her shoulder, as if afraid she'd disintegrate in front of him. "This isn't all your fault. I could have asked where it came from, or even just encouraged you more. I ignored you like an ass and then got mad when I didn't get my way. I took things too far, and I'm why everything went wrong." 

A dull, sad look touched Gwen's face.  
"Jasper," she said quietly, "you didn't hit me. I'm just kind of difficult."

He choked quietly. He just wanted this to be over. He pulled her close as tears streamed down his face. "I should have never put my hands on you." She looked up at him, face lost in thought. He felt her lean up and met her halfway in a soft, tentative kiss. He ran a hand gently down her back, freezing when she jumped. He pulled away, almost shaking. "I'm sorry."

She finally broke down, crashing into his chest. "I'm scared," she admitted, " I can't relax anymore and I can't make it stop." Jasper kept her close. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I'm so sorry, angel."

Gwen sighed. "You'd never," she reasoned, "I'm just dumb."

Jasper groaned tiredly at that remark. "I gave you a reason to be scared the night I pinned you against the wall."

"Stop," she asked simply, sounding just as exhausted all of a sudden. He sobered, watching her stand resolutely. "You have to face the fact sooner or later," he persisted carefully. "I did something really shitty. You have every right to feel intimidated. I hurt you, I broke your trust. You deserve better." 

She looked at him. "You didn't mean it. I said some awful shit."

"But you never got physically aggressive. I did that. Me."

"None of this fixes the fact that I can't actually relax around you."

Jasper watched her flick her cigarette onto the ground. Gwen looked at him longingly. "I love you," she said, "I want to be with you again. Not whatever this has been."

Jasper slipped back into the early spring, when he had finally broken and accepted advice from his father. 

\---

The old man listened as Jasper spoke quietly, ashamed and afraid of what his father would think. "Owen," he began softly, "you know you were severely in the wrong?"

"Yes, sir," he said in an oddly dry tone. Owen Sr. stared at his son. "Then you know that if you want that girl back, you go on bended knee. You never put your hands on a woman unless she's becoming absolutely abusive in her own right. No matter what nonsense she screamed at you."

Jasper felt tears sting his eyes. "You're right, Pop. Can I even ask her to consider me?"

"Jasper," Owen said gently. Jasper looked at him desperately. The old man sighed, wistful. "It's not too late to fix what you broke. She loves you. I do speak from experience."

Jasper froze fearfully, stunned. "Pop, did you-"

"I did," he affirmed sadly. "I was drunk and your mother was angry that I was drunk. She demanded that I sober up, so I slapped her across the face. She left with Jess and Joe, six months pregnant with the three of you."

"You guys never said anything," Jasper argued. Owen shook his head. "Never seemed necessary. But it can teach you what you need to know now."

"How did you get her back?" As much shock as Jasper was experiencing, he was willing to try anything. Owen finally smiled. "I called for weeks. She never answered. I was half out of my mind. I showed up to her aunt's house where she was staying. I promised her I'd give up everything to get her back. But, it was more than that. I'd crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed."

Jasper looked at him. Owen sighed. "I hurt her in every way possible. Understand that you have a lot less to make up for. However, she kept telling me that she wouldn't forgive me, and I got more and more frustrated. I went to start hollering and she slapped me across the face. Suddenly, I started to laugh, and she did, too. She told me we were even. That she was willing to work with me. I spent six months on the couch, six months doing anything to win her trust back. She finally took me back and we've never looked back. Your mama spent a year in hell with me, and I'll never put her back there again. That is the key. You never turn your back on your word, and she will have every reason to trust you as much as she ever has."

Jasper nodded solemnly. "I never meant to hurt her."

"No one ever does. What matters now is taking your time and hers, building your foundation back to what it was. Rome wasn't built in a day, just burned on a few occasions."

The blonde snorted. "Thanks, Pop."

The older man smiled, clapping a hand against his son's shoulder. "Anytime."

\---

". . .Jasper."

He turned toward her to see her face. "I promise you," he said softly, "I'll never lose control like that again."

"I know that," she countered, "I just can't relax. No matter how rational I am, I can't connect the dots, you know?"

Jasper took her hands in his. "You're one of my best friends on this planet. I won't let that happen." Gwen sighed. "It's not that easy. I wish it was."

Suddenly, Jasper had the stupidest plan he'd ever had. But, he took his father's word. "Hit me."

Gwen narrowed her eyes. ". . .excuse me?"

Jasper took a deep breath. "I want you to hit me. As hard as you want." Gwen groaned, "I don't want to fucking hit you, Jasper."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Not even a little?" he asked suspiciously. Gwen shook her head. "As tempting as you make it seem, no."

Jasper gave a smug grin. "Oh, come on. I'm pushing all the buttons."

Gwen glared at him. "Shut the fuck up."

He sighed heavily. "Can you just cooperate with me here?"

"Oh my God," she snapped, "you are such an asshole! What do you want from me?!"

Jasper was frustrated now, he was pinching the bridge of his nose. "I. Want. You. To-"

Gwen's patience finally broke. She sent a left hook flying, striking Jasper's jaw with a painful crack, both sharing in the pain of the punch. The blonde stumbled back against the fence. Gwen gasped, rushing forward to take his face in her hands. Tears of remorse filled her eyes as he winced when her hand, still throbbing as well, caressed his chin. "Shit, shit, shit. . ."

Jasper started to giggle. "Doll," he soothed gently, relieved to find that his jaw wasn't broken, "I'm okay."

Gwen choked sobs and laughter. "W-why did you do that!?"

Jasper wrapped her up, saying quietly. "Now you know you could've beaten my ass that night. You could me fuck me up, Gwen."

She blinked the tears from her eyes. The sobs quieted. "Yeah." Gwen finally understood. Jasper wanted her to feel secure in herself. If Jasper had tried anything, Gwen would have laid him out in a minute, tops. She ran her fingers through his hair.

The pair turned and stood quietly, watching the sunset as it bathed the world in warmth and ethereal glow. Jasper kissed her again, soft and hesitant. Gwen returned his favor, pressing her nose against his when she finally let him go.

A loud whistle made them jump. Gwen froze as she met eyes with David, refusing to look at Jasper's family. The blonde grimaced. "Jackson," he called irritably, "shut the fuck up."

As the youngest triplet snickered, the middle triplet, Jill, inched closer behind her younger brother. "This is some kinky sh-ow!"

She thwacked him cruelly against his ear. "Quit being an ass, Jack."

He grumbled as Jasper smiled almost fondly, if it weren't so strained. "Thanks." Jill smiled back pleasantly.

The oldest sister, Jess, looked at Gwen with disdain, even as Gwen refused to look back at her. "Does anyone else realize that constitutes a domestic battery?"

"I just purposely got my wife to punch me. Acted annoyingly enough to push her to hit me. She did nothing wrong."

"That's enough talk of charges, as well. I won't listen to it," Owen muttered as his wife hid her face in her hands. "Minnie," he addressed her easily, "I think Jazz needs an ice pack."

She looked up at her son and nodded, retreating into the house. Jasper looked at his father. Owen looked shocked beyond words. 

Jasper gave a shrug. Owen chuckled. Gwen finally dared to speak. "Please tell me the kids are asleep." David nodded. "Definitely."

She sighed as Jess glared harshly at her. Jasper looked at his sister again. "You'd best keep quiet."

Jess scowled, asking, "What do you mean?"

David looked puzzled. He was out of the loop on all of this. Jasper sized her up to a second, analyzing his words carefully. He watched Gwen, frozen and anticipating everyone's words. He knew that she couldn't handle a fight right now. "You're just trying to start up trouble."

Jess shook her head, but surrendered as Owen gave her a hint that Jasper was right. She grumbled and walked back inside, striding past her mother as she returned with an ice pack. David stepped away from Jasper's siblings to meet Gwen.

He spoke quietly as Minnie met Jasper worryingly. "So, what was that about?"

"I think Jasper's secretly a genius."

David looked beyond her, to Jasper's attempts to soothe his mother's anxiety.

"Elaborate?"

Gwen smiled warmly . "I'm pretty sure he just forced me to assert dominance and it worked." David clicked. ". . .oh."

Gwen studied the redhead before continuing, "He told me to hit him. I, of course, said no. He kept badgering me until I finally let him have it. I freaked out and he just told me that I could kick his ass." David grinned, charmed. "And that killed the fear factor, didn't it?" 

Gwen winked at him. "Is anyone else mad at me?" David wrapped an arm around her. "No, I think everyone was just excited when they saw you two kissing at the fence." The brunette blushed. They were interrupted when Jack appeared, quick to apologize awkwardly. Gwen laughed it off, assuring him that he hadn't fucked up too bad.

Jasper talked to his parents by the fence. Owen laughed as Minnie looked absolutely gobsmacked by her son's sheepish words. "Of all the morals you could have taken from that story, you picked that one?!"

Gwen and David laughed. Their partner looked betrayed. "Thanks."

As the night wore on, Jess was absent. Angry and annoyed, she left the house without a word. Everyone else was pleasant. They played cards until around midnight. As the three entered their guest room, David closed the door. "So," he said sombrely, "where do we stand?"

Jasper and Gwen looked at each other. The blonde smiled encouragingly, "Better than we were, at least."

David sighed, sitting on the bed. He stood abruptly. "Is it that easy?"

"No," Gwen admitted, startled, "but it is better. The idea of you leaving the room doesn't freak me out now. That's got to count for something."

David smiled nervously. "It does. I just can't imagine where we go from here. I don't want you two stuck in something you don't want for me."

Jasper and Gwen exchanged looks. David tried to decipher their silent correspondence, and he was usually able. But he'd stepped back from all… this a while ago. Their eyes were intense. Without a word, after a solid three minutes, they both grinned. Jasper took David's hand urging him next to them on the bed. Gwen smiled sweetly, "That's never gonna happen, David. Ride or die, bitch."

David couldn't help but giggle as Jasper pulled them close. He leaned back against the blonde’s chest and sighed. Nimble fingers played with his hair and he almost felt normal again. Eventually, Gwen pulled away, off to take a shower. As the water started up, David looked at Jasper as he began grinding his weed for when she returned. Jasper looked back, a playful smile on his lips. “Everything’s fine, Davey. It will be, anyway.” 

David raised an eyebrow. “Eye for an eye?” Jasper shrugged passively. “If Hammurabi being right is what it takes to get marriage back on track, he can have the win.”

David shook his head, stumped on how to quip back. Soon, the water stopped and the men heard the Gwen curse as she tried to tame her hair. She stepped back into the room a few minutes later, coming over to kiss Jasper on the forehead as he sat on the edge of the bed, twirling a joint skillfully in his fingers. “I love you,” she said serenely, “I don’t know if I made that clear enough earlier.” Jasper grinned, “Oh, you made your point.” She crawled unto the middle of the bed as Jasper swung his legs up to recline. He pulled a lighter from the bedside table. 

Within twenty minutes, the trio settled dazedly into the sheets. Gwen had switched sides, allowing Jasper the middle as was routine. He didn’t push the subject when she turned away from him, even as his heart sank a little. ‘It’s okay,’ he reminded himself, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ David settled against him, the same disappointment tugging at the redhead when he reached to touch her and found no one. Despite this, her voice, soft and seemingly content, touched them. “Goodnight, I love you guys.” They answered her softly before sleep fell over the two of them.

It couldn’t have been long before Gwen awoke. She sighed and turned slowly, careful not to wake her partners. She watched them sleep, and something pulled at her heart. Looking down to the blonde’s chest as it rose and fell, she could almost hear the heartbeats. Gwen jumped slightly as calloused fingers grazed the small of her back. She and Jasper met eyes for a moment. “I won’t bite,” Jasper said teasingly. He watched her ease into the idea, and his left arm slowly wound around her. As Gwen settled on his chest, they both felt the heavy void leave them.

Gwen reaches out as David stirs, taking his hand and interlacing their fingers. Even in the dark, she could sense his eyes brightening. She instantly imagined that sweet smile. She felt Jasper’s on her scalp. His hand gently caressed her back, soothing her back to sleep along with the steady beat of his heart. 

Everything was okay. For the first time in a long time, it was alright.


End file.
